


Bees of Paradise and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Chloe Bourgeois

by Pudadingding



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Character Development, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, Developing Friendships, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:13:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22591561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pudadingding/pseuds/Pudadingding
Summary: Redemption is earned, not through big deeds, but in many small unrecognised actions. Chloe is going to learn that the hard way.The redemption that the writers didn't give us. Set post S3, focusing on Chloe and her ups and downs as she tries to become the person we know she could be.
Relationships: Chloé Bourgeois & Luka Couffaine, Chloé Bourgeois & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	Bees of Paradise and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Chloe Bourgeois

“I’m sorry, okay.”

Marinette looked up in surprise at the statement. Luka’s fingers paused on his guitar strings, a soft chord hanging in the air, mingling with the humidity of the Parisian summer. Parisians were strolling past, enjoying the faint breeze that wafted down the Seine. A group of tourists were giggling, trying to get the best photos of Notre Dame for their Instagram, despite the hordes of scaffolding that surrounded the damaged cathedral.

But no one else was close enough to have apologised as Chloe Bourgeois was, stood slightly to the right of where she and Luka were perched on the bench, her right hand on her hip, left hand stretched slightly in front of her, her gaze was locked on her manicured nails.

Luka glanced at Marinette, and shrugged his shoulders, silently implying that Marinette should deal with the social interaction.

“Are you speaking to me?” Marinette asked, dubiously. The blonde scoffed and tossed her hair over her shoulders.

“Ugh, as if. You would never be cool enough to be a miraculous holder.”

Marinette frowned and rolled her eyes. Typical Chloe. No matter how many times she had tried to be the bigger person, Chloe always seemed to bring out the worst in her. Luka frowned too, and started to open his mouth to say something, before pausing and then appearing to reconsider.

The silence hung heavy in the air, as all three seemed to be waiting for someone else to speak.

“I just… I’m sorry for outing you as a superhero. My therapist says I need to start earning forgiveness from others before I can start forgiving myself, but I really don’t want to have to apologise to those losers that I go to school with, and I don’t know who you are although you look kinda familiar, but you’re kinda hot, even if you do hang out with the worst people, and they were talking on the news again and I needed to get out and I was just walking past and saw you sat here so I thought I’d start with you…” Chloe looked down at her shoes, seemingly shocked at the torrent of words that had just escaped her mouth.

Marinette blinked. As Ladybug, she’d deliberately postponed thinking about ‘The Chloe Problem’ (as she’d phrased it to Tikki), until she could get to grips with her full responsibilities of being the new Guardian. She knew that at some point she would need to, maybe by organising a visit with Chat to admonish Chloe or assigning the Bee miraculous to someone else, to make it clear that Queen Bee was definitely off the team, but at the moment the anger from the whole situation was still too raw.

And now here Chloe was. Standing alone, apologising to Luka, without any encouragement, incitement, incentive or reward to do so.

Marinette was lost for words. Luka wasn’t.

“Okay, you’re forgiven.”

“What?” “What?” Both girls stared at Luka in bewilderment, although his gaze had already returned to his guitar arm, fingers ghosting over the struts as if he was trying to recall a long-forgotten song.

“You’re forgiven. It’s a nice day out. Do you want to join us?”

Marinette felt her eyebrows rise into her hairline. Sure, Luka was probably the most laidback person she knew, and avoided drama at all costs. But Chloe had outed him and others as miraculous holders, putting everybody’s lives in danger, all in a fit of spite because Ladybug wouldn’t give her the Bee miraculous. Chloe, who had never even been given a miraculous in the first place but taken advantage of Ladybug’s clumsiness. Chloe, who though she may not realise it, was inadvertently the reason that Master Fu has lost his memories and Marinette was now burdened with more responsibility than she knew what to do with.

Why would he want to spend time with Chloe?

“What? Me? Why?” It seemed that Chloe was having trouble processing Luka’s comment too. Her nails glinted in the sun as they gripped her oversized designer handbag at her waist.

“Everyone deserves a second chance.” Luka smiled and strummed out a simple melody. Unsure what to do, Chloe glanced at Marinette, hoping that she could gain some guidance in navigating this awkward situation.

Marinette took a deep breath. WWCND. What would Chat Noir do?

This had become her new mantra in the last few weeks since the changing of the guardians. Chat had been her lodestone during the battle, helping to ground her and focus on the immediate issues of the day. And she had started to realise that even if he spent most of his time playing the debonair foolish tomcat, he was a wise and kind pussy cat. Focused on the victims as much as the villains, and always willing to see the best in everyone.

What would Chat do? He would give Chloe a second chance.

But Marinette wasn’t Chat. She could try to, but not completely.

Scrunching her nose in frustration, she nodded her head towards Luka, indicating the empty other side of the bench. Chloe looked between the bench and Marinette a couple of times, before the meaning clicked. Hurriedly sitting down in the empty seat, she fidgeted and fussed for a few minute, trying to decide where to place her bag. Eventually she decided to rest her bag on her knees, and Marinette watched as Chloe's fingers tightened around the two handles.

"Well play something then!" Chloe commanded in her most authoritative voice, and Marinette winced. But Luka seemed okay with that, and turned slightly to Marinette smiling.

"Any requests?"

She paused as thoughts flittered through her head, songs and memories passing by like the boats on the river. She smiled at Luka. "Play something from the heart."

Without speaking any more words to each other, the two girls spent the rest of the balmy afternoon uncomfortably relaxing by the Seine, listening to their erstwhile troubadour as he experimented with new melodies.

He sang of second chances.

**Author's Note:**

> There we go. Keeping it short but sweet.
> 
> My first fic in over 15 years, and my first both in the MLB fandon, and on AO3. Unbetaed as it's been so long since I did this, but feedback is welcomed! 
> 
> I have more planned out for this fic, but updates will likely be sporadic. Probably gonna set myself the challenge to keep it drabble sized (500 words) but this is slightly longer, so maybe doubledrabble?
> 
> There may be romantic shipping later, but the best ship is Friendship! That's what I will primarily be sailing around here. It's #friendlyfebruary on the Action for Happiness calendar this month, so why not challenge yourself to make the world a better place and spread some happiness.
> 
> [Action for Happiness - Friendly February](https://www.actionforhappiness.org/friendly-february)


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